MHRA on herbals

"Using Herbal Medicines: Advice to Consumers" is a new guidance document issued July 27 that informs consumers about how to avoid low-quality products on the market, the UK's Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency announces. The document warns that "any medicine - herbal or otherwise - has the potential to have adverse effects," and states that the safe use of herbals "has not been established" in pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, children or the elderly. MHRA also explains that products bearing a PL (product license) or THR (Traditional Herbal Registration) symbol on their product labels are regulated by the government, while products with no symbols have not been assessed by the agency. The guidance is being issued in the wake of MHRA's efforts to remove a number of questionable products from the market, including Real Herbs' supplement that was advertised to "inhibit the growth of tumor" and Rena Chinese Medical Center's capsule that claimed to have "strong effects in controlling HIV"...